Question
5.
Are there other scriptures also, considered sacred and
authoritative?
In Hinduism, the number of books, considered as sacred, is legion.
However; only the more important ones, acceptable to the orthodox
tradition and venerated by almost all sections, will be described
here briefly: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavadgita, the
Smritis of Manu and other sages, Agamas, Puranas and Darsanas.
The Ramayana, containing the life and deeds of Sri Rama, and the
Mahabharata which deals with the story of the Pandava Kaurava
princes as also of Sri Krishna have inspired the Hindus for
millennia to face the problems of life.
The Bhagavadgita, more commonly known as the Gita, which is a part
of the Mahabharata is an extremely popular scripture. If the
Upanishads can be compared to the cow, the Gita is their milk. It is
in the form of a dialogue between Lord Sri Krishna and the mighty
Pandava warrior Arjuna. The battlefield of Kurukshetra is
its place of origin. Its central message is that one should
discharge one's duty however hard and unpleasant it be bravely and
with selfless dedication. |